Here's the thing about running an F1 juggernaut: eventually, even the person holding the wheel has to look toward the horizon. According to Crash.net, Mercedes Formula 1 team principal and CEO Toto Wolff has admitted he is already vetting people right now to take over from him. The Austrian, now 54, joined the Mercedes F1 team in 2013 as motorsport boss and executive director, alongside buying into the squad.
Under his leadership, the machine built an utterly wild era of dominance, sweeping the world title with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg between 2014 and 2020. That is not all. Mercedes is also on the cusp of an eighth drivers’ title this year with Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who is in just his second year of F1.
Wolff signed a three-year extension with Mercedes to remain as team principal and CEO in 2023, which runs to the end of this season, and his ownership of the operation has increased to 33%. Speaking in a new interview on the Cheeky Pint podcast, he opened up about life after Mercedes and confirmed he is already putting plans into place. Because of that heavy ownership stake, however, he doesn't expect to fully walk away from the brand in F1.
As Wolff explained: “There will be a solid management structure. I believe my job is going to be divided between two or three people that I'm vetting at the moment that I believe are already doing a great job with all of their strengths in various areas. And then it’s gonna be different, but it will be a successful team.”
A clean break is simply not on the cards, as he noted: “I think a clean break is probably not possible if I continue to own it with my family. So that kind of executive, non-executive chairmanship is something that may happen. But it needs to happen in a very, very precise way. Because you can't be on the sidelines and interfere with the daily business.”
Behind the scenes, the structure is already shifting. For the 2026 season, former communications chief Bradley Lord was named deputy team principal of the Mercedes F1 team. Long before the Silver Arrows years, Wolff bought a share of Williams and joined its board of directors in 2009, serving with the team until 2012. During that earlier stint, he oversaw its most recent win to date at the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix with Pastor Maldonado.
